TBILISI, July 31 – A Georgian court is expected to deliver its verdict August 1 in the criminal trial of journalist and newspaper founder Mzia Amaglobeli, in a case that has sparked international outrage.
Supporters of Amaglobeli are planning to gather outside Batumi City Court during the final hearing waiting for the verdict. They argue that the case is politically motivated and a result of the Georgian Dream government’s growing pressure on independent journalism in Georgia.
Amaglobeli, co-founder of the news outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, is charged under Article 353 of Georgia’s criminal code, which relates to assaulting a police officer. If convicted, she faces between four and seven years in prison.
The charge stems from an incident on January 11, 2025, when Amaglobeli was participating in a protest outside the Batumi police headquarters. She was initially detained under administrative charges and released shortly afterward, but was re-arrested minutes later after slapping the local police chief. That incident became the basis for the ongoing criminal case.
Authorities maintain that the case is a straightforward matter of law enforcement, emphasizing that assaulting police officers is a criminal offense regardless of the assailant’s profession or political affiliations.
